Fundraising U Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a Fundraising U franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
Fundraising U discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it C.
What their own earnings claim actually says
35 franchisees disclosed; gross sales ranged $84.6K–$1.3M; residual sales 6–90%; cost of goods 69.5% of sales.
What a Fundraising U franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $60,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 8% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Advertising fund | 0.6% of gross sales | Item 6 — brand marketing, spent at the franchisor's discretion |
| Total recurring fees | 8.6% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $79,800 – $84,277 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
8% royalty + $600/mo brand fund; $400/mo tech fee (1 territory); deferral required IL/MD/MN/ND/SD.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
Fundraising U system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 81 |
| Ceased operations | 0 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 0 |
| Transferred to new owners | 2 |
| Closure rate | 0.0% of outlets |
2025: +27 net outlets; 1 arbitration settlement; Illinois/Maryland/Virginia surety bonds required.
From Item 20 of the FDD 2026. Terminations and ceased operations are the franchisor's own count of owners who stopped — the number the sales pitch leaves out.
Is Fundraising U worth it? — how it compares to 436 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 8.6% of sales | steeper than 60% of other franchises franchises |
| Startup cost | from $79,800 | cheaper than most (median $138,750) |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade C | typical for the category |
| Closure rate | 0.0% of outlets | better than most (median 1.5%) |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 1 | about average |
Benchmarked against every other franchises franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a Fundraising U
The franchisor's framing: 35 franchisees disclosed; gross sales ranged $84.6K–$1.3M; residual sales 6–90%; cost of g… We reconstruct what an owner actually keeps, from their own FDD.
- Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
- Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI
- Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
- Decoded real failure / closure rate
- How it ranks vs comparable franchises
- Validation-call playbook — the exact questions to ask
See a full sample report → · 30-day guarantee
Fundraising U franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a Fundraising U franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $79,800–$84,277, including a $60,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do Fundraising U franchise owners make?
- 35 franchisees disclosed; gross sales ranged $84.6K–$1.3M; residual sales 6–90%; cost of goods 69.5% of sales. We grade this disclosure C for honesty.
- What are the Fundraising U franchise fees?
- Fundraising U's FDD discloses a $60,000 initial franchise fee, a 8% royalty on gross sales, a 0.6% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 8.6% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. 8% royalty + $600/mo brand fund; $400/mo tech fee (1 territory); deferral required IL/MD/MN/ND/SD.
- What is the Fundraising U franchise profit margin?
- Fundraising U does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: 35 franchisees disclosed; gross sales ranged $84.6K–$1.3M; residual sales 6–90%; cost of goods 69.5% of sales. Recurring fees alone take about 8.6% of gross sales, before rent, labor, food or debt service. Margin has to be reconstructed from the disclosure, not read off it.
- What is the Fundraising U franchise failure rate?
- 2025: +27 net outlets; 1 arbitration settlement; Illinois/Maryland/Virginia surety bonds required.
- How many Fundraising U locations are there?
- Fundraising U's FDD reports 81 total outlets, with 0 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 2 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does Fundraising U have complaints or lawsuits?
- Fundraising U discloses 1 legal matter in Item 3 of its FDD. Item 3 covers the franchisor's litigation history, which is the closest thing to a public record of how it treats franchisees — read the case descriptions, not just the count.
- Is a Fundraising U franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Fundraising U scores C on disclosure honesty, carries about 8.6% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 1 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Compare Fundraising U to similar franchises
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Source: WI DFI Franchise Registration (2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Fundraising U or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.